Fly-trap for screen-doors.



J. A. FOUST,

FLY TRAP FOR SCREEN DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3, 1915.

1,170,234. Q Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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J. A. FOUST.

FLY TRAP'FOR SCREEN DOORS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1915.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

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VIII,

THE COLUMBIA PLANOBRAPH ,cO., WASHINGTON, D. c.

mrnn sm rns PATENT ornion. 1

JAMES A. FOUST, OF HUMBOLDT, KANSAS.

FLY-TRAP FOR SCREEN-DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb.1,1916.

Application filed June 3, 1915. Serial No. 31,889.

'make and use the same.

This invention relates to insect traps and more particularly to fly traps for attachment'to screen doors and windows.

The object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed and efficient'device of this character which may be readily applied to and removed from a screen door or window when desired and which is designed to trap the flies which crawl up the screen.

lVith this and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a front elevation taken from the inside of a screen door showing this improved trap applied; Fig. 2 is a similar view taken from the outside; Fig. 3 is an edge view of'the trap showing the door in section; Fig. 4L is'a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 4E-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line '55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective proved. trap is shown applied to a screen door D for trapping the flies which usually are found crawling on the outside of the screen to prevent them from entering the door openlng when the door 1s opened.

This screen door is shown provided with a longitudinally extending opening 0 around I which on the outer face of the door is placed a plate 1 here shown substantially rectangu lar in form and having an opening 2 therein which preferably conforms in shape to clamped between these members.

the opening 0 in the door D, being here also shown rectangular and which forms a frame for said opening.

Arranged on the inner face of the screen between which and the plate 1 the screen material of the door is clamped, said frame being here shown substantially U-shaped with apertured lugs 4 secured to the outer faces of the legs thereof adjacent the cross bar 5 of said frame and through which bolts are designed to pass for connecting the ends of theplates lto said frame with the screen material of the door firmly This frame '3 is here shown composed of a metal strip of any suitable or desired width with the free ends of the side members or legs 6 thereof bent laterally outward at right anmaterial of the door D is a box-like frame 3 gles as shown at 7 and apertured to receive J attaching screws for connecting the frame to the upper cross-bar B of the door D on the inner face of said door. Removably mounted in this frame ,3 is a box-shaped cage 8 here shown rectangular in form to conform to the shape of the member 3 and which is preferably constructed of metal,

the side members and ends 9 and 10 thereof being imperforate and composed of sheet metal with their outer edges bent laterally inward to form flanges 11. The inner edges of these side and end members 9 and 10 are bent laterally outward and then inward 'to' formspaced guides 12 and 13 between which the inner facing 14 of the cage or trap is mounted, said facing being preferably composed of screen wire. This inner 'facing terminates at its lower end at a point spaced from the lower end wall of the trap of the trap which is provided for removing the flies after they have been caught and 'kill'edJ' The guides 12 and 13 at the lower ends of thetrap are designed to receive a closure 16 which is slidably mounted there- 'in and here shown in the'form'of a metal plate of a length corresponding to the width and is connected to across bar 15 byany of the trap and of a width equal to the distance between the cross bar 15 and the lower end member 9 of the trap, the upper edge of said plate being bent laterally outward at right angles to form a lip 17 designed as a hand grip for actuating the slide.

The outer face 18 of this trap is also composed of screen wire and is connected by solder or otherwise to the flange 11. This face member 18 also terminates at its lower end short of the lower end of the trap in a plane above the lower end of the front or inner face member 1 1 and is secured to a cross bar 19. This outer face member is provided at its lower end with an inturned lip 20 which is secured to the lower face of the cross bar 19 and positioned with its inner edge terminating about half-way more or less of the distance between the outer and inner faces of the trap.

A block 21 is secured to the lower end member 9 of the trap at the inner or front face thereof with its upper face inclined inwardly and upwardly as shown at 22, the rear wall of said block being straight and disposed some distance from the outer or rear edge of the end member 9 to form a chamber 23 into which the dead flies are designed to drop to provide for their removal when the slide 16 is raised. Secured to the inclined face 22 of the block 21 is a guide plate 24: which projects beyond the inner edge of said block and extends toward the lip 20 to provide a contracted inlet 25 for the admission of the flies to the trap, it being well known that flies will travel upwardly over an inclined surface of this, character and pass into an opening at the end thereof, but that they will not travel in an opposite directionand crawl out of such an opening. This box-shaped trap 8 is designed to be placed in the frame 3 with the opening 25 for the admission of the flies arranged to register with the openings 2 and 0 formed in the screen door fabric and in the plate 1. This trap may be detachably held Within the. frame 3 by any suitable means, hooks 26 being here shown pivotally mounted on the outer faces of the side members of the frame 3 and designed to be engaged with eyes 27 formed in the sides of the trap.

In the use of this trap, the parts being positioned as shown in Fig. 1 and as above described, the flies crawl up on the outer face of the screen door or window on which the trap is mounted, and pass in through the registering openings 2 and O in the screen door and plate, and enter the trap between the. guide plate 2% and the lip 20. After they enter said trap they will not again pass out through the opening at the lower end thereof for the reason above set forth; to wit, that flies travel upwardly but not. downwardly on structures of this character. After the trap becomes filled or contains a large num ber of insects, it may be removed by disengaging the hooks 26 from the eyes 27, lifting out the trap and immersing it in hot water, whereby the insects are instantly killed and they may then be removed from the trap by raising the slide 16 and dumping them out.

While this trap is shown and described as applied for catching flies on the outer face of a screen door or window, it is obvious that it may be reversed and applied for catching flies on the inner face of a screen if desired without in any way changing the structure.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a slotted screen; of a fly trap comprising a plate slotted to correspond with the slot in said screen, a frame, said plate and frame being fastened together on opposite faces of said screen, a cage shaped to fit in said frame and including side and end walls having inturned flanges at their edges, screen wire members secured to said flanges and terminating at one end at points spaced from the adjacent end wall of the cage, cross .bars connecting the side walls of the cage to which the free ends of said screen members are attached, one of said members extending under its cross bar and projecting into said cage, and a cooperating plate inclined upwardly and inwardly and terminating adjacent to and spaced from said inturned screen member to provide an inlet for the trap.

2. The combination with a slotted screen; of a fly trap comprising a plate slotted to correspond with the slot in said screen, a U- shaped frame on the opposite side of said screen and secured to said plate, a rectangular cage shaped to fit in said frame and including side and end walls having inturned guides at one of their edges and inwardly extending flanges on the other, screen members secured to said flanges and inturned guides and terminating at one end at points spaced from theadjacent end wall of the cage, a plate slidable in said guides between the end of the cage and the free end of one of said screen members to form a removable closure, cross bars connecting'the side walls of said cage to which the free ends of said screen members are attached, one of said members extending under its cross bar and projecting into said cage, and a cooperating plate inclined upwardly and inwardly and terminating adjacent to and spaced from said inturned screen member to provide an inlet into said trap.

8. The combination with a slotted screen; of a fly trap comprising a plate slotted to correspond with the slot in said screen and havingapertures therein to receive fastening elements, a U-shaped frame on the opposite side'ofsaid screen and formed from a onepiece metal strip, lugs extending laterally from the arms thereof adjacent the cross bar and having apertures therein to aline with the apertures in said plate, fastening elements connecting said plate and the lugs, the upper free ends of the arms of said frame being bent laterally at right angles thereto to form attaching lugs to be secured to the screen frame, a cage shaped to fit said frame 10 and having an entrance slot corresponding copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

with the slots in said screen and plate, and means forholding said cage in the frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES A. FOUST.

Witnesses:

CHAS. SOHAFFNER, GARRETT VAN SEYMOUR.

Washington, I). G. 

